Breweries in Yolo County
Summer’s just around the corner and it’s the perfect time to plan a “beercation” in the area. If you aren’t familiar with Yolo County breweries, our guide will change that – keep reading for write-ups on every brewery in the area!
Yolo Brewing Company – Website | Yelp Page
If homebrewing interests you, Yolo is definitely a place you want to visit. They offer a personal brewing session that allows you to brew you own beer at their facility under the guidance of one of their hopmasters – and all the people brewing look like they are having a blast. Yolo brewing co is located in West Sac right next door to the old UPS – just look for the sign in the driveway that will direct you to the area.
There isn’t a kitchen on-site, but they do have free snacks like popcorn and pretzels to help cleanse the palette between beer tastings. You can also bring your own food or visit one of the food trucks they booked for the day. The facility is also dog and family-friendly with a bunch of games to occupy the children while you enjoy your beer. Note that the facility does not have A/C, so remember this on hot Sacramento days.
According to Yelp, the most popular beers are Lemon Drop IPA, Orange Honey Ale, and the double IPA (packs a punch). For people in your group that don’t drink alcohol, Yolo also brews kombucha and has that for sale. There are a bunch of activities that you can do during your visit, like listen to live music, participate in trivia night, or do a free Vinyasa yoga session (Sunday weekly) with a certified instructor. If you’re into Jazz, check them out every weekend for live Jazz music.
Jackrabbit – Website | Yelp
If you’re in the area for Yolo Brew Co, take the 4 minute walk down Terminal St. to enjoy some amazing flavors at Jackrabbit – located between UPS and the rice mill in West Sacramento. The facility has a ton of indoor seating with a big parking lot, and even has a big screen TV paired with classic video games like the Nintendo Super NES. This place also family friendly, so if you brought the kids to Yolo Brew Co, you can continue to Jackrabbit without finding a babysitter.
The flavors here on point – according to Yelp, this place is easily a top 3 local brewer based on quality and taste of the beer. Jackrabbit also hosts a beer and cheese pairing event , and we read a Yelp review saying that the pairings were excellent. We read a bunch of reviews on Yelp and consensus is that all of their flavors taste good and a few are exceptional standouts. The two flavors that were mentioned most on Yelp reviews are the Monks Belly and Pub Ale with 5 mentions for each.
If you’re looking for activities, they host various activities like movie night, cooking classes, and events on succulents & herbs. They also have cornhole if you feel like playing a simple game to pass time while you’re there. Jackrabbit doesn’t have a kitchen either, but you have the option of bringing your own food or ordering takeout and getting it delivered. If you’re heading there on a weekend, don’t worry – Jackrabbit always books food trucks to be there on Saturdays and Sundays.
Blue note – Website | Yelp
If enjoy the industrial feel over fancy and pretentious, Blue Note’s Yelp reviews indicate that they may be a great fit. This brewery is located in the heart Downtown Woodland, down Dead Cat Alley and is described as one of the best new breweries in the area. This is another hop spot you can add to your family-friendly list, with games you can check out for the kids along with giant Jenga and Connect Four. If you happen to be in town for a court hearing, also be sure to check out our article on Restaurants the Woodland Courthouse.
Blue Note is also pet friendly, so note that this is a brewery you can stop by while walking your dog. The facility can be described as a giant warehouse full of couches, community tables, and game tables for a blue collar industrial feel. Along with a good amount of space, they also have live bands playing and TVs – making this a perfect venue for company events or holiday parties. If you enjoy eating with your brew, bring food and snacks or order from one of the food trucks on their rotating list.
The consensus on Yelp is that Blue Note’s flavors and tasting menu are excellent – they have lots of craft beers and a good selection of IPAs, and they also carry some of the trending sour beer that’s growing in popularity. Blue Note is pretty highly rated on Yelp with an average rating of 4.5 stars with 71 reviews. If you’re look still stuck on what to order after trying a flight, check out the Oatmeal Stout – their most reviewed beer on Yelp (8 mentions).
If you like bicycles, dogs and brew, this heavily themed joint is the perfect spot for you. They’re highly touted on Yelp with 191 reviews and an average rating of 4.5 stars. The most mentioned menu item on Yelp is the milk stout (45 reviews), so give that a shot if you’re looking for something solid.
This is the third brewery on the West Sac Terminal stretch, right next to Yolo Brew Co and Jackrabbit – the front entrance is pretty easy to spot from the main road and they have private parking, although it does get a little packed as the bar gets busy. The place usually gets packed, so make sure you plan ahead to get there a little early for the sake of convenience.
One thing that’s great about Bike Joint is that the facility has air conditioning and a small arcade that includes games like ski ball to keep you occupied. They also have foosball (table soccer) and jenga available to play. I’d definitely rather be here on a hot day than stuck in the heat at Yolo Brewing Company. Bike dog is family friendly in addition to allowing well behaved pups – a huge plus is that they have clean bathrooms equipped with diaper changing stations!
While Bike Dog doesn’t serve snacks, they are only 1 minute away from Chando’s Tacos – many patrons will walk over to grab some tacos and come back to wash it down with some Ale. If tacos aren’t your thing, there is usually a food truck out front to satisfy your hunger – you can also bring in your own food if you’d like.
Sudwerk Dock Store – Website | Yelp
Sudwerk is a staple in Davis brew culture because they actually run the UC Davis master brewer’s program out of out of the dock store. They are situated right next to the Sudwerks restaurant beneath the underpass, with a half gravel lot. Be cautious when driving there at night – the parking lot entrance is a little tough to spot when it’s dark. You can grab food from the Sudwerks restaurant or try one of the food trucks they usually partner with.
Yelp reviews (4.5 stars/57 reviews) often refer to the dock store as the mad science lab where brewery students test out their new ideas (sours, barrel aged brews, milk stout, and india pale ales) as opposed to the more traditional ale available at the Sudwerks restaurant. They have 4 kegs tapped and replace each empty one with a random flavor from their vault.
Suds has a lot value in terms of their product offering – free tasters of every flavor at the dock store and no deposit on keg rentals are two things you don’t see very often. On Wednesdays, they have $1 pints with a $3 cover charge. While indoor seating is limited, there are plenty of benches in the expanded outdoor seating section. Sudwerks is one of the dog-friendly bars, so long as your pup is behaved.
Berryessa Brewing Co – Website | Yelp
If you’re in the Berryessa lake area, you may want to stop by Berryessa Brewing co for some of what people say is the best craft beer in the region. The brew co is situated near highway 505 via highway 128 and leads right into the hills/lakes/wineries of the countryside. According to Yelp reviews, this is the perfect place to stop off on your way back relaxing or catching some fish at the lake. Keep an eye out for a small short sign near the parking lot entrance that should indicate you have arrived.
Berryessa is also dog and child friendly, so feel free to make this a family outing. If you live in the area, Yelp reviews also say that this is a nice bike ride in from Davis. They frequently have live music on weekends and also some weekdays. If you’re taking kids along, they have toys and games for them along with giant jenga. While they don’t serve food at Berryessa, there are free chips to snack on and they usually have a food truck on location – with Buckhorn Steakhouse and their amazing BBQ being a frequent vendor.
The consensus on Yelp: if you like good beer and enjoy the outdoors, this is the place for you. There are a ton of tables on the enormous outdoor patio, so keep this place in mind if you’re looking for an event venue that serves beer. Most Yelp reviews say that the Separation Anxiety IPA and the House IPA are solid choices if you don’t know what to start with. There is a wine tasting room adjacent to the beer taps, so there’s something for everyone.
Three mile
The Three Mile Brewing is a spot in downtown Davis that is also highly reviewed on Yelp (66 reviews/4.5 star average rating) with a diverse menu from blondes to IPAs. They are tucked into a small courtyard behind Temple coffee and Zumapoke. This place is also dog and kid friendly, so add this to the list of breweries you can drag the entire family to. There are games to keep the kiddos occupied while you enjoy the beer they have to offer.
According to reviews on Yelp, the music is excellent and the employees are all nice people that contribute to a great atmosphere – one yelp reviewer even said that a thoughtful employee brought out a dog bowl with fresh water for her pup on a particular hot afternoon. Three Mile has a few TVs to watch and a bunch of games to occupy yourselves during drinking escapades. They also have a little patio in the courtyard that’s perfect for day drinking in nice weather. They don’t serve food here, but you can order from Woodstock pizza down the street and they’ll happily deliver.
The beers all taste great, but feel free to judge that for yourself – employees are happy to give out samples to help find something you actually enjoy drinking. Three Mile also offers a ton of value on their beer flights (only $7) if you are still having trouble deciding. The most reviewed beer on their Yelp page is the Honey Blonde (8 mentions) is easy to drink and described as “smooth, aromatic, and refreshing.” If you’re into other stuff, they have about 12 unique craft brews on tap from saison, rye ales, sours, porters and IPAs.
Super owl
Super Owl Brewing is one of the newer additions to the Davis area (opened in September of 2017) and can be found on Lake Blvd near Lamppost Pizzeria. This is a family friendly brewery owned by a local husband and wife that you can always count on seeing a diverse crowd at. There is ample seating both inside and outside, so don’t worry too much about being elbow to elbow with a stranger. Super Owl allows dogs on the small patio, continuing the theme of pup-friendly breweries in Yolo County. They even have a separate kid-friendly area so you don’t have to deal with children running all over the place, if that isn’t your thing. If you’re a parent, they have toys and a large chalkboard to help keep your kid occupied so you can enjoy life for bit.
This location is situated at the end of a strip mall and is great for situations where craft beer is needed away from the downtown student life. Since it is away from Downtown Davis, it’s not a nightmare trying to find parking, which is actually pretty ample. While Super Owl does not server food, they have free pretzel sticks and allow you to bring your own food or have it delivered from the Lamppost Pizza right next door. The Oatmeal Stout (4 Yelp reviews) and Looky Loo Blonde Ale (4 Yelp reviews) were the most mentioned, so give those a shot if you’re looking for a suggestion.
Looking for a bar crawl in Davis?
Sometimes you’re in the mood for something a little harder than beer – we understand. If you live in the Davis area, check out our guide on the Davis Trinity – one of the college town’s most popular bar crawls.
